The present invention relates to an electrical switch suitable for use in garments.
The task of integrating or fitting electrical and electronic apparatus within clothing presents a number of problems to the designer, including the incorporation of switches.
An approach to integrating electrical switches into clothing is to use standard xe2x80x9coff the shelfxe2x80x9d electronic components which are then sewn, glued or otherwise mounted to clothing. Unfortunately this approach has a number of disadvantages arising from the fact that these components are primarily intended for use in conventional electronic equipment. In such conventional equipment these switches are easily accommodated by mounting them on a printed circuit board or other part of the equipment. However, in the case of clothing which is normally manufactured from flexible textile material, even if the switches are successfully attached, the mounting achieved will not always be rigid making operation of the switch difficult, especially one-handed operation. Taking the example of a known simple toggle switch, the base part of the switch needs to be held firmly while the lever part is operated. While the unsatisfactory physical mounting of the switch causes problems with switch operation, another drawback is that clothing provided with these components has the feel and appearance of clothing with components stuck on top, rather than the components being neatly integrated and in keeping with the character of the clothing.
This latter point is important because a primary consideration when selecting a garment is its appearance. The inclusion of a switch that detracts from the appeal of clothing is most undesirable from the point of view of the designer and consumer. Switches for use in clothing that are to be visible should look right, whether they are incorporated as a prominent design feature, as a discrete implementation or even disguised.
The use of such conventional components also causes problems to garment manufacturers because the machines and processes commonly used within the garment construction industry will not be designed for connecting the switches to fabrics, either in terms of providing a physical mounting for the switches or making the electrical connectors thereto.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an electrical switch which may be integrated into clothing. It is another object of the present invention to provide an electrical switch which may be integrated with clothing at a stage of garment manufacture using machinery that is commonplace within the garment construction industry.
In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a switch for use in garments, said switch comprising an arrangement of at least two electrically conductive contact portions arranged in proximity to each other, each contact portion being provided in the form of a textile fastener component mounted on a fabric portion; and
resilient spacing means acting to bias the contact portions away from each other such that the contact portions ordinarily reside in a spaced apart relationship,
wherein the switch is operable by the application of force directed against the action of said spacing means to move said contact portions towards one another to establish electrical connection there between.
Advantageously, the use of textile fasteners which are commonplace in the garment construction industry means that the fasteners, together with the machinery and processes, for fitting the fasteners to garments are readily available to garment manufacturers. A workforce skilled in attaching the fasteners will also be available therefore reducing the overall cost of including the switch of the present invention into garments and the extent to which the workforce needs to be trained in fitting the switches. Furthermore, the consumer is accustomed to seeing such fasteners in clothing and therefore the visible incorporation of this switch into garments will be generally more acceptable to the consumer than would be the incorporation of a conventional electrical switch component. The switch should provide easy user operation. Ideally, the switch may also facilitate easy one handed operation.
The electrical connection may be provided as a result of direct physical contact of the contact portions.
Alternatively the switch may further comprise a pressure sensitive component arranged in physical and electrical contact with each contact portion, which component undergoes a change in electrical characteristic as a function of force applied to it, wherein said established electrical connection between the contact portions is provided by the pressure sensitive component while the pressure sensitive component is subjected to the applied force.
When each textile fastener component is an eyelet, the switch may be arranged to permit a pull cord to pass through each eyelet centre to continue from a first side of the switch through to a second side of the switch, and an abutment arrangement on one of the first or second side of the switch for acting on the one adjacent eyelet and being actuable by the pull cord such that when the pull cord is operated by a pulling action the abutment urges the said one adjacent eyelet in the direction of the other to establish the electrical connection.